Went to a raceday there in the early eighties. It was a bit boring after you see a few blast down the stip. In the end you are waiting for an accident just to liven things up. The British Grand Prix was the same at Brands Hatch in 198?. A few noisy cars wizz past and then it's back to the paperback. Apparently some famous drivers were in those cars. I couldn't tell!

hornet

11-03-2009, 21:13

hi guys, found this on you tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX8eLNz13V0
supposed to be from podington in 1944
cheers, Hornet

airfields man

13-06-2009, 17:11

Podington - 1987

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/window-186.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/window0001-147.jpg
I took these 19-10-1987.

Brothmark

19-09-2009, 17:56

I got to be part of moving the 'Big Picture' from Podington to Duxford in the late 1980s. My wife's transportation Squadron at Alconbury provided manpower and equipment. The late John Mills was very instrumental in making this happen

Brothmark

19-09-2009, 18:00

Podington's 'Big Picture' project

Blackadder

23-11-2009, 00:35

Another windfarm proposal here too

http://www.clowd.org.uk/

Dave Smith

26-02-2010, 17:03

Brief clip with sound only for the first few seconds (!) showing construction of Podington runways, allegedly. What looks like a Vultee Vigilant flies past and a Whitley takes off from a new runway while the areas alongside are still being graded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXMy_ApAZrM

Carnaby

26-02-2010, 18:25

Good find Dave. Trouble with YouTube is that it then leads to other clips and next thing you know it's time for bed :wink:

Here's another:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH0cFosl7Wc

Paul B - do we see HILV runway lights in this clip, or is it wishful thinking ?

Another:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_WepIIcW9w

Graham

P Bellamy

26-02-2010, 20:05

Paul B - do we see HILV runway lights in this clip, or is it wishful thinking?

I looked at the second link first, thinking that was the one you meant.
No HILV visible in that one, but as 42-31613's belly landing was on April 19th 1944 I would think that was too early for them to be fitted.

Looking at the first link though, definitely some HILV lamps visible there.
To get a timeframe for these, the coloured Group Markings on 43-37535 were applied during August 1944, and she was lost in action on September 22nd 1944.

All the best,
PB

airfields man

28-02-2010, 19:25

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/PAULS%20SCANS%20TWO/window-6.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/PAULS%20SCANS%20TWO/window0001-6.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/PAULS%20SCANS%20TWO/window0002-6.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/PAULS%20SCANS%20TWO/window0003-6.jpg
A few more of Podington 1987.

Chris Lowe

14-03-2010, 20:49

A nice aerial of santa pod/podington http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/gallery/v/northamptonshire/santapod/santapod-ba24865.jpg.html?g2_GALLERYSID=82ea0874498db5da67d df36f18b28480 (http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/gallery/v/northamptonshire/santapod/santapod-ba24865.jpg.html?g2_GALLERYSID=82ea0874498db5da67d df36f18b28480)
This chap takes some nice pictures I may purchase a print of this one.

airfields man

01-05-2010, 15:10

Podington - 1987

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/window-186.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/window0001-147.jpg
I took these 19-10-1987.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/PAULS%20SCANS%20TWO/window0003-21.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/airfieldsman/PAULS%20SCANS%20TWO/window0004-18.jpg
Podington Control Tower as at 26-04-2010.

Ah! Memories...... Knew Podington back in the 60's when it was virtually intact. Was used as a Civil-Defence strage depot (as was Desborough). Gliding took place there using
auto-tow and an old US surplus truck. Also a chapter of the Tiger Club was there for a while with the 'big-picture' building used as clubhouse. I saw the big picture when that room was used for a pig birthing. Also in that building were other murals depicting little friends and raid depictions ---also one with signatures of aircrew. The tiger club added to the mural collection with a yellow Tiger Moth (G-ANLR ?). At ploughing time little bits of dural could be found and also the odd machine-gun round (some ball - some tracer).
We used to pull the heads off, empty the cordite out and keep them ! I revisited Podders in the 90's with my sons (as they thought my stories were a bit 'tall') and the mural could just about be seen along with some decorative painting on the overhead beams. A guy was using the space to weld cars ane he kindly let us look around. Finally we found the old ops block which you couls still see inside. On the wooden door there we saw some barely discernable stencilling....it said "MISSION AMERICA - 1942" !. As is always the case, I didn't have my camera.....whn i went back with it (3Years later) it was sadly gone.

ebno

31-05-2010, 13:02

correction.....2nd para should read 'murals' ...........the big picture had long been recovered by then.

Brothmark

31-05-2010, 16:49

correction.....2nd para should read 'murals' ...........the big picture had long been recovered by then.
When I was at Alconbury in the late 80s the 10th Transportation Squadron and I helped move the Big Picture to Duxfordhttp://mighty8thaf.preller.us/gallery/Podington/bigpic

WiganMick59

28-06-2010, 23:46

A few images of Podington taken Thursday 24th June, many thanks to REF and NJR.

Thanks!! It may have been only six days without a connection but it felt like six years!!!!!!

I was suprised with how much actually still survives at Podington! I honestly wasn't expecting so much. Well worth an explore!

Steve

Richard Flagg

01-07-2010, 16:01

I think there is more to see there too, I would like to head back but I think it'd be better in the winter.

Nice pis by the way and good to see you've sorted the internet out Steve!

Chris Lowe

19-06-2011, 22:26

An interesting video on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX8eLNz13V0

Gavin Hadaller

29-07-2011, 11:27

Hello all,

I'm looking for more photos information and stories about the Podington airbase.

My grandfather was Staff Sgt George Waldschmidt, the painter of The Big Picture. I am trying to find out more about his bomber, the guys on board, the stories behind El Lobo and El Lobo's Cub (or El Lobo 2 as some of them evidently called the bomber). I was in my early teens when the painting was moved to the Duxford Imperial War Museum and while I had the honor of meeting some of the remaining Podington Englishmen, the remaining crew from El Lobo and all those affiliated, I wasn't old enough to truly appreciate the experience. I'm hoping that perhaps there are still folks out there who know about the story behind the plane, the wall art and the base. If so, any info you have would be more than greatly appreciated. You can contact me at Ghadaller@yahoo.com.

Anyone who is interested in Staff Srgt Waldschmidt's other art work that was done both prior and after The Big Picture, please feel free to contact me and I will be more than happy to provide pics and whatnot.

I keep driving past an 'extra' building that's not listed on TommyUSA's Podington overlay but looks very RAF/Military, does anyone here have a site plan for Podington that could confirm this?

If it is military then its certainly dispersed !

I can provide grid refs if required.

seebee1

20-05-2012, 19:45

Pleased to hear this Bomber, although shame to hear that the pin-up ones may no longer be in good condition. Trying to conserve wall-art is a very tricky business, not really for the amateur. I always used to believe it was best to just try to save what there is, stabilize and conserve. I came to this conclusion after seeing the results of "The Big Picture", the B-17 wall-art removed from the 92nd BG at Poddington some years back. It resides at the IWM Duxford in what was the 8th AAF hanger. The preservation-conservation was carried out by someone who knew what they were doing, but it was never the same once renovated and really not at all good as it originally was. If you have images of the art-work today at Shipdham I would be keen to see them. Kind regards, Clive.

Bomber

20-05-2012, 20:33

Hi Clive yes i do have slides of the shipdham art work & photes & believe it i also have it on a cd i made on derelect airfields in 1994 .
As for the B17 from Poddington 92nd bomb group. I again photed the mural back in 1972/3 when it was in situ i clearly remember the farmer taking me into the building as it was being used as a pig shed. You are quit right about the rework on it does not seem to have the same look as it did at Podington. I hope i can see it next Sunday as i will be at Duxford then . As for you seing the pictures i hope before to long to get my slides put on to a cd & hard drive i will then get them up on IAX.

seebee1

21-05-2012, 10:34

I look forward to seeing the images that you mention Bomber, also if you take one of the Poddington B-17 at Duxford would be keen to see this as well. I guess that those who see it will never realize how it looked when it was in its original location, in some ways I wished it had stayed there, but the building is now totally derelict and would never have survived. Regards, Clive.

Bomber

22-05-2012, 13:44

I visited Poddington a couple of years agoe with some ARG members and i did go back to the building where the mural was & it was in a poor state so i agree with you it would not have survived . I will try & get a photo Sunday & get Steve to post it up .
Regards ,
Bomber .

SomewhereinEngland

30-05-2012, 11:12

Hi all, on a recent visit to Podington myself and a representative from the 92nd BGMA visited the crash site of B-17G 42-32001 which was one of 4 ships that were lost on the field on the 28th May 1944. The other 2 ships crashed head on following a recall in bad weather on the main runway, with the 4th being lost on return to Podington. There are still 2 craters in the ground and the trees still bear many scars from that tragic day. We were very lucky to have the kind co-operation with the landowner and i'm looking forward to returning to explore a bit more of this corner of the airfield soon. this is a photo of us with the wreath that we laid: 9081 I'll dig out a few more of around the site too.......... Regards, Dan

Hal_Chase

30-05-2012, 11:34

Hi all, on a recent visit to Podington myself and a representative from the 92nd BGMA visited the crash site of B-17G 42-32001 which was one of 4 ships that were lost on the field on the 28th May 1944. The other 2 ships crashed head on following a recall in bad weather on the main runway, with the 4th being lost on return to Podington. There are still 2 craters in the ground and the trees still bear many scars from that tragic day. We were very lucky to have the kind co-operation with the landowner and i'm looking forward to returning to explore a bit more of this corner of the airfield soon. this is a photo of us with the wreath that we laid: 9081 I'll dig out a few more of around the site too.......... Regards, Dan

Hi,
Whereabouts was the crash site...sort of looks familiar to me that's all !

SomewhereinEngland

30-05-2012, 15:58

It's in a secluded and very private bit of woodland off the end of the main runway, took a lot of work to get access but it's a beautiful place. I did try uploading more pictures but the file size is too big....... there's a few more on the Somewhere in England Tours facebook page if you want to check them out.
There is also another woodland crash site at Podington but that's at the opposite end of the airfield...... I'm hoping to get up there this coming winter, will keep you all posted!

Hal_Chase

30-05-2012, 16:28

It's in a secluded and very private bit of woodland off the end of the main runway, took a lot of work to get access but it's a beautiful place. I did try uploading more pictures but the file size is too big....... there's a few more on the Somewhere in England Tours facebook page if you want to check them out.
There is also another woodland crash site at Podington but that's at the opposite end of the airfield...... I'm hoping to get up there this coming winter, will keep you all posted!

Sorry I don't go anywhere near Facebook :wink:

I know where you mean more or less, if it's off to the left of the Three Shires Way Byway at least. I grew up within a couple of miles from there so used to go rummaging around in all the woodland there (mainly the top end of the runway though). Would be interested in joining you, if and when you get back there (and if you don't mind :))

stevie

31-05-2012, 10:49

I will try & get a photo Sunday & get Steve to post it up .
Regards ,
Bomber .

On behalf of Bomber -
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r172/spinback/Hinton%20in%20the%20Hedges/DSCF3417.jpg

Hi seebee1 here are the pictures i took last Sunday at Duxford i hope they are ok for you .
Also thanks Steve for posting them up for me .
Bomber . 8-)

seebee1

01-06-2012, 12:58

Excellent images Bomber. I need to find the original pictures I took when it was in its original location at Poddington, unfortunately not sure where they are. There is a huge difference between how it was then and how it is now, some folk like the restoration, but others preferred it as it was. My choice would have been to have left it as it was, carefully conserved and preserved. I thought at the time that the B-17 may as well have been painted from scratch, rather than spoil its uniqueness and originality. Regards, Clive.

airfields man

01-06-2012, 18:44

Excellent images Bomber. I need to find the original pictures I took when it was in its original location at Poddington, unfortunately not sure where they are. There is a huge difference between how it was then and how it is now, some folk like the restoration, but others preferred it as it was. My choice would have been to have left it as it was, carefully conserved and preserved. I thought at the time that the B-17 may as well have been painted from scratch, rather than spoil its uniqueness and originality. Regards, Clive.

Totally agree with the latter part of your above statement, seebee1, But, as it is now, it's pretty-much guaranteed to remain in it's preserved condition for all to see for generations to come. Would have loved to have seen it in it's origin though. :grin:

seebee1

02-06-2012, 15:05

Found a couple of great images on this Forum taken by "Brothmark" of the "Big Picture" being removed, October 1989 I believe. Although not the best lighting, gives an idea of how good it was before "restoration". I also attach an image of the 92nd BG photograph that was used by S/Sgt George C Waldschmidt for the subject, the painting was done by him in the Ready Room of the 325th BS. Regards, Clive.909991009101

Got chance to visit Podington on way to Thurleigh for Saturday's FOTE meeting. There is a lot here, so apologies for the amount of pics! Unfortunately, some of the buildings are obscured by undergrowth and wrecked cars, but there is much to find! Pete Dyer, who I met through FOTE was kind enough to give me his copy of the RSP's for Podington, from when he was involved in moving "The Big Picture", so hopefully I have labelled most of the buildings correctly, though happy to be corrected if not!!

Parachute Store. There was a bloke outside here (his dog is visible in the pic!), and when I asked if I could take a photo of the parachute store he replied, "There's f**k all in there mate". I think he must have thought I was after photos of any racing cars/dragsters etc that might be stored in some of the old buildings. When I said I just wanted a shot of the building, he looked slightly bemused and said "Go right ahead!"

Finally, I spotted this on my way over to Thurleigh. It is located by a sharp bend near Manor Farm, on the other side of Podington village from where the airfield is located. It's not on any of the dispersed sites, but I thought it looked very similar to a Gym/Chancel building!

Finally, I spotted this on my way over to Thurleigh. It is located by a sharp bend near Manor Farm, on the other side of Podington village from where the airfield is located. It's not on any of the dispersed sites, but I thought it looked very similar to a Gym/Chancel building!

I mentioned this last year here but had no takers > http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?1424-Podington&p=101047&viewfull=1#post101047 Been driving past it for 25 years thinking it must be linked to the airfield :)

Dan Hardy

26-09-2013, 21:21

Yes, I saw your post earlier in the thread and wondered if this was the building you were referring to. Just caught sight of it as I was driving back through Podington and nearly slammed the brakes on! Definitely looks airfield related, but its no where near any of the dispersed sites!

airfields man

28-09-2013, 09:59

Finally, I spotted this on my way over to Thurleigh. It is located by a sharp bend near Manor Farm, on the other side of Podington village from where the airfield is located. It's not on any of the dispersed sites, but I thought it looked very similar to a Gym/Chancel building!

Chickens, Turkeys or Pigs comes to my mind :roll: I used to work on a Turkey farm that looked a lot like this does.

T-21

22-03-2014, 11:16

Had a card through the door this week inviting me to a public exhibition in my village hall ,Odell on Tuesday 01 April 2-8pm(no not a joke !). Vento Ludens of Bristol are proposing a planning application summer 2014 for a solar farm encompassing the old 92BG Podington airfield where the 327BS dispersals and part of the bomb store were. approx 28 hectares. This is the area to the SSE of the SantaPod drag strip near the old Glebe Farm. Information presented at the meeting will also be available on the website www.ventoludens.co.uk after the event . I have no map at present.

Jenna

26-03-2014, 08:27

The planning application was 13/00218/MAF at Bedford Borough Council.... cant find the full application on line though.

T-21

05-04-2014, 09:45

Details of the exhibition here http://www.ventoludens.co.uk/cms/upload/unternehmen/presse/OdellGlebe_ExhibitionBoards_LOWRES.pdf

I gave them a copy of the wartime airfield plan showing the bomb fusing areas . Suggested they get EOD from Wittering to scan the area for ammo,fuses,etc probably buried around .

superplum

05-04-2014, 21:08

I gave them a copy of the wartime airfield plan showing the bomb fusing areas . Suggested they get EOD from Wittering to scan the area for ammo,fuses,etc probably buried around .

The land should already have an EOD clearance certificate which would have been required prior to its disposal. Not sure that 5131(BD) Sqn are in a position to respond to private developer's requests!

T-21

05-04-2014, 23:56

When I spoke to the developers at the exhibition they were unaware of the buildings i.e the fusing sheds and incendiary sheds were on the site of their development. I suggested they look into checking the area and gave them a copy of the wartime plan. I thought the EOD would check it for free but if not I'am sure the company would pay for this work to go ahead,either by the EOD or private specialist companies. This is a safety issue and wise to check it out ,as it is amazing what ammunition keeps showing up after 70 years .

PETERTHEEATER

06-04-2014, 08:19

The Podington Bomb Store was always partly wooded providing a myriad of places in which to 'lose' unwanted items such as ammo, grenades, bomb fuzes and the like and although the BD clearance team would (should!) have thinned out the growth to enable effective locator search this may not have been done extensively. Ploughing has turned over all the large areas and any casually discarded or shallow buried items would have been turned up by now. Ditches too were fairly easy to search if somewhat messy.

Larger items such as small bombs would have required the digging of trenches. Fine if you have a mechanical digger but if faced with doing it by hand human nature limits the labour expenditure to the minimum depth to cover and let nature take care of the rest!

When airfields were closed down munitions stocks (which were recorded) were returned to depots. In my experience, items disposed of by throwing away into long grass, wooded area, wet ditches were individual and frequently life expired or faulty and rather than do the paperwork for a 'Turn-In' they were 'lost'

If the developer is not encroaching the wooded areas then I would not expect any dangerous finds.

T-21

06-04-2014, 22:15

Thanks Peter I respect your knowledge. The developers were appealing for local information and I was making them aware of this it is up to them to do any further checks of the area.:D

Peter Kirk

06-04-2014, 22:44

I assume no large quantities of ordnance were buried at airfield bomb dumps but I did find a record of burial on the old Rushford bombing range, presumably at a decent depth. Not sure if such things were officially recorded with location details though. This was .303 by the way and boxed. I gather there was an Air Ministry regulation for this and maybe in the appropriate AP regarding burial so that might be interesting to read.

PETERTHEEATER

07-04-2014, 13:33

Oh yes. With the direction of what had to be at least Station Armament Officer level fairly large quantities of ammunition were deliberately buried on bombing ranges and demolition ranges and even in bomb stores. Why they were not formally returned to depots for disposal is anyones guess but in my experience they tended to be items that were earmarked for reurn to depot but 'missed the last bus' to use a figure of speech. Stations that were closing down had a deadline and personnel had their dates to leave so the residues of stores of all types had to be cleared. Caught short with stocks still on hand I believe that unrecorded decisions were made to lose them by burying and what better place than a military area still on the books.

I personally located a cache of hundreds of thousands of rounds of mixed belted .303 aircraft gun ammo on a plot adjacent to the now demolished Danger Building group at Duxford. This after an anonymous written letter to the Air Ministry by someone with a guilty conscience! This was buried in a pit dug through a top layer of 18 inches of chalk into sandy soil 5 feet deep and about 12 x 6 feet so someone had a sweaty job!

Incredibly on a former demolition ground we discovered just below the surface a 4000 pound HC bomb, unfuzed. The demo ground had not been licensed for the destruction of this capacity bomb so where it came from remains a mystery.

Some years ago, in the St Eval thread I posted pix of the recoveries that we made from the bomb store
there all of it buried in shallow trenches.

Skellyq

13-06-2014, 22:25

Just came across this thread and noticed the comments regarding dumped ammunition at Podington. The fields covered by this development were exactly where we used to regularly see live 0.50 ammo just lying on the surface. This was back in the early 80s.

Richard Flagg

21-06-2014, 08:54

Control Tower

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k557/danbuoy/531_zps7d5c9e57.jpg

Looks like a pitched roof has been added in the past couple or years, compare this to the photo I took in June 2010